


Sleepwalking

by Castielsdwinchester



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Academy Era, F/M, FitzSimmons Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 10:50:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17303255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Castielsdwinchester/pseuds/Castielsdwinchester
Summary: They share a room, and one night, Fitz somehow sleepwalks right into Jemma’s bed, who can’t bring herself to kick him out, because he’s adorable in his sleep and in fact she never slept so well. What happens when they wake up ?





	Sleepwalking

**Author's Note:**

> This is my gift to Ready-to-kick-some-ass for the FitzSimmons Secret Santa based on her prompt <3 Also, a big thank you to Owsin who has read and corrected it. <3

From all her classmates, Jemma couldn’t believe she has to be paired with him.

Him.

Leopold James Fitz, the second youngest of the Academy besides her, only twenty one days older.

She knew because she had access to his file, neither because she checked it on purpose nor because she was curious, of course. The file happened to be open while she was there. She could have not read it, but then it would have been such a waste of information. She just needed some intel about her worst enemy, to know who she was up against.

Yes, Leopold James Fitz, twenty one days older, was her enemy.

Not that she wanted him to be. She had tried, countless times to talk to him, to introduce herself and get to know him but every time she tried, he just ignored her. Not even a word. Not even a look. He just disappeared as soon she was in the same room, hurting her self-confidence a bit more each time. She had tried. Their teachers, too. They were the smartest, they said. They should get along, they said.

That is probably why they were together in the same room, during this trip in one of the facilities of S.H.I.E.L.D to see what was really happening behind the walls. One more chance. Helpless and hopeless as the others if they had asked her.

Fitz - yes, another weird thing about him was that he insisted on being called by his last name. Jemma had discovered that in the hard way, when she called him Leo the first time they had spoken; well, the first time she had spoken - had implored their teachers not to be paired with her. He didn’t even try to hide it from her, openly begging while she was standing beside him.

Frankly, the boy was a total mystery for Jemma, and no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't figure him out, wrapped in her uncomfy bed, eyes still wide opened past three am. Despite the dark night outside, she could still catch sight of Fitz’s shape, curled up in his own bed, head deeply hidden in the sheets. He must have finally fallen asleep because she could hear some sort of profound sounds coming from him. He has been awake late as well, spinning and rolling around for hours.

Jemma wondered what was on his mind even if she suspected it was her. After all, he had came back to the room after night fall, making sure she was already washed and asleep, before doing the same. It was only because he seemed nervous but tired as hell that she had pretended to be asleep. Even if all she wanted to do was to confront him. Was she that horrible? She never thought of her as one, never heard it from someone, either. What could he had against her when they have never exchanged one word ?!

Jemma was so deep in her thoughts she didn’t even notice Fitz wasn’t in his bed anymore. She blinked once and her heart skipped some beats the moment she found him in the middle of the room, near the window. She let out a rattling exclamation, convinced she had just came close to her own death. How could have he moved so quickly she didn't even saw or heard him flinch? Had she really lost tracks of reality this much? Trying to calm herself and her poor frightened heart, she stared at the boy curiously, swallowing hard.

He was standing there, in the dark, head turned by the window. His arms were dangling lifelessly. His breath soundless.

At first, Jemma believed he had finally decided to speak to her. He had taken his time, but better late than never. Now, as she moved cautiously towards him, she wasn't so sure about it. She already had a theory but wanted to make sure of it. She slowly walked towards him before carefully grabbing his arm, his skin burning against her despite the cold. She grabbed his t-shirt instead, unable to cope with this unusual feeling and what it caused in her stomach. 

Not that it felt wrong.

She gently made him spin until she could realize that indeed, his eyes were closed. She did expect it, after all. Her worst enemy was sleepwalking, above everything else. She had read once about it, after her cousin had a crisis during one christmas eve. Her mother had told her she shouldn't try to wake up her, but just talk to her to get her back to her bed. That’s exactly she was going to do because, Jemma liked to follow the rules. Even if it was for helping such a quiet brat who happened to be the smartest of the Academy. Besides her, of course. Plus, the air was so cold he might end up dead by morning. She didn't need any corpse in her closet before even beginning her career in S.H.I.E.L.D.

« Come on, let’s get back to bed before you freeze to death and they say it’s my fault. » Jemma sighed loudly, still astounded by the way things had turned out. He followed her obedient like a rag doll.

She guided him for a few steps before letting go of him and jumping on her bed, unsure she would even find sleep before morning. She was about to find warm shelter under the sheets when the bed shifted again.

« What are you doing ? » Jemma exclaimed, almost screaming as Fitz was not coming back to his bed but hers. « No, no, no, I said get back to bed but to each other's bed, not to mine ! » She tried again, helpless when the boy found his way upon one corner, curled in a fetal position. « You have got to be kidding me. »

Jemma tried to get rid of him by pushing him a few times, not too harsh but firmly. Unsuccessfully, too. He was well hooked to the sheets. So well Jemma almost kicked herself out instead of him during her unsuccessful attempts. 

She gave up after a while, exhausted, lying there lamely. Her breath was chaotic while she was starting to make peace with her fate for the night. Either she surrendered and gave him the bed and perhaps try and sleep in his or she just had to stay still on her corner and accept a truce for a night. After all, it was her bed, why should she be the one to give it up? She had every right to stay here.

Jemma glared at him, furiously.

Fitz was sleeping like a baby -lucky him-. His head rested upon his hands joined. His chest was gently rising to the rhythm of his breathing, peaceful. She had never noticed how young the boy looked. She knew he was sixteen like her, but the childish features hadn’t disappeared from his face yet. His chubby cheeks were covered with freckles which Jemma was sure will fade away with time. His soft blond curls which Jemma was sure would stay long enough for her to stroke them a few times.

What? No, she absolutely did not think that.

She was so mad at him since they met she had forgotten how young they were. Two people far away from their homes, in a distant country across the globe. They weren’t children, they weren’t adults either. She wondered if he was as lonely as she was. If only he had agreed to talk to her. Maybe they could be lonely together. Maybe even a little less lonely.

Before she knew it, she found herself counting his freckles. Which was confusing when his lips kept stoling her attention, whispering some dark secrets she was trying so hard to understand.

Okay, now she was really sleepless, no doubts. 

A smile ran through her lips when she discovered what was printed on his not all white t-shirt : tons of monkeys. So little she didn’t even see them until now she was so close she could touch them.

Maybe she should try to sleep in his bed, finally ? Maybe it was better for her sanity. 

Jemma knew she was already doomed when the thought of Fitz sleeping being adorable came across her mind. Well, she was so tired she was starting to care less. After all, he was the one who got in the wrong bed. He was the one who should be ashamed. Not her. On that thought, she allowed herself to move, finding a new and more comfortable position which happened to also be a bit closer to Fitz. If she has to share her bed with him, she may as well took advantage of her first occasion to really stare at him

Just you know... Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Jemma could hardly kept closer and the only thought of it stole her a silent laugh she strangled in her hands. 

The only thing bothering her was his attitude towards her but when the darkness finally comes upon her she caught herself wishing that even if he didn’t talk to her at day, they could still sleep together at night.

Jemma didn’t even knew she fell asleep before waking up the next morning, heavy eyelids and stray heart. The first thing she saw was big blue eyes, staring at her in disbelief. 

Then nothing. 

Nothing because the boy with the big blue eyes vanished in the restroom faster than the Flash.

« Did you always leaves on the morning without a word ? »  asked Jemma, pleased with herself even if all she had for reply was the sound of the door's lock. It seemed Fitz didn’t find it that funny, after all. 

Shame on him, because Simmons had no intention of about being shut out anymore. She had given him time to get used to her, to get used to her presence. Hours, days, weeks, months. Each time, she had backed off and hoped the next time would be the one. Now, she would make this time the one. It had to. He was lonely, just like her.

Fitz wasn't answering at her first knocks on the door but she wasn’t giving up.

« I will stay here until you open this door. » She promised, palm against the wood. She could hear him pacing around, surely confused. Jemma sighed. « What I said earlier sounds better, it was inappropriate. But I assure you, it’s fine. Just come out so we can talk about it. » 

Fitz finally came to his senses after a while, slowly opening the door before stepping in the room like a soon-to-be-dead man is called to his hanging. He had probably understood Jemma wasn’t the women you can get rid of easily. 

« I’m... I’m sorry. » He sluttered, stiff as a stake, twisting his hands in all directions. His face was all red and his eyes ran everywhere except to Jemma who had been back to her bed, sitting cross-legged on it. She raised an eyebrow. His chest rose harshly « I must have been sleepwalking again. I used to do it when I was a child but it hasn’t happened in years. I guess I was feeling anxious... »

« Anxious ? » Asked Jemma, concerned now. « Anxious about what ? » The red across Fitz’s face was spreading like a cloud invading the sky. He obviously didn’t want to answer but since she wasn’t letting him go unless he talked. He opened his mouth, his fingers clenched so tight they were becoming white.

« I was scared about sharing this room with you... » He admitted, voice hoarse and almost entierly gone. It felt like a cold knife in Jemma’s chest.

« Because you hate me that much ?! » She whispered, swallowing hard and trying her best to hide the pain in her voice, halfheartedly. 

Their eyes met when Fitz stared at her, more lost than ever, colors absent from his face all of sudden. He tried to speak but couldn't find his voice for a few minutes. The knife Jemma had felt must have pierced him too, never missing his target.

« What ? Hate you ? » His face, still until then, was now shaking furiously. « No ! No I don’t, I couldn’t. Never ! »

« You never speak to me, like ever. » Jemma defended herself. « You're avoiding me like the pleague.»

« You're Jemma Anne Simmons, Jemma Amazingly Special. You’re the smarther of our class, of the Acamedy. » Fitz blurted hastily, as if his life was depends on it. « I thought my first words to you should have been smarter than just « Hi » ! » 

« What ? »

« What ? »

They stared at each other, startled. Jemma had her mouth wide open, still unsure of what she just had heard. The warm feeling running around her belly wasn’t leaving now, burning everything under its path, making its way to her chest. Bones, veins and tissues, all on fire. Fitz was slowly realizing what he just said, his face not only red but drowning under all shades of red, making his eyes more blue than ever. His hair all wild. Even his hands seemed dazed, still as a statue.

« I mean... » He tried lamently. « I mean, they say you’re the smartest. I don’t know for sure. »

Jemma pouted longly before bursting into laughter. She couldn’t believe what was happening. She also couldn’t believe he knew her full name. Did he had access to her file as well ? How long had he been trying to make a move in her direction without success ? She was so focused on being hated and ignored she had never thought of him being just incredibly shy. Jemma couldn’t believe how foolish they both had been. Everyone always said they were the smartest but they were definitely not the smartest when it came to human humans relationships. 

Nevermind, it was never too late.

« Breakfast ? » Jemma proposed, a smile always on her face now. Her whole body filled with something warm and cozy in the middle of the winter. Her hand already reaching for the menu’s card from the hotel.

« Breakfast, that I can do. » Agreed Fitz, his lips slowly rising as he steps forward her.

Their fingers briefly intertwined when she handed him the card. Skin against skin. She saw his eyes had started glowing. That was the moment she knew he felt what she felt. That they could be lonely together. Less lonely, even. She knew the winter will hurt them less this year than all the years before.

End.


End file.
